Great Basin Naturalist Volume 40 Number 3 Article 6 9-30-1980 The successional status of Cupressus arizonica Albert J. Parker University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn Recommended Citation Parker, Albert J. (1980) "The successional status of Cupressus arizonica," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 40 : No. 3 , Article 6. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol40/iss3/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. THE SUCCESSIONAL STATUS OF CUPRESSUS ARIZOMCA Albert J. Parker .\bstbact.— Several investigations isize-class analysis, age-determination inquiries, and germination tests"* suggest that Cupressus arizonica of southeastern .\rizona is a pioneer species. The tree requires disturbance to remove or species. of light reduce soil litter, which other\%-ise inhibits the reproduction of the Reduction intensity caused by canopy closure appears to be less important than litter accumulation in restricting C. arizonica reproduction. Fol- lowing disturbance, successful establishment of seedlings may occur over an e.xtended period ,50 to 100 years I as Utter graduallv accumulates. The absence of C. arizonica seedlings in present populations suggest that fire suppres- sion policies on federal lands where C. arizonica occurs have altered fire frequency, and consequently have fostered a short-term reduction in C. arizonica establishment. Only in floodplain en\ironments. where flooding disturbs the soil surface, has much reproduction occurred in recent years.